An Oral Health Educator
I have been a dentist for over four decades, but I prefer to think of myself an Oral Health Educator. This is because I respect the true definition of doctor, which originates from the Latin word “docco” – to teach. I believe that a real doctor should interest his or her patients in the importance of daily home care, diet and the causes and prevention of disease.
My Core Belief
My core belief is that people who care about their teeth should be successful.
I believe it is vital to have an effective oral health coach who will help you understand how to improve your mouth health.
Maybe your coach is your dentist or hygienist – but if you visit a dental office that is simply fixing cavities and cleaning teeth – they could be too busy to teach you how to control your own mouth health successfully.
Books, Articles and Internet Teaching
I have been involved in oral health education and the prevention of dental disease throughout my long career. I have written books, including: Mouth Care Comes Clean, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, and The Power of Xylitol. I’ve built numerous websites and blogs, created booklets and articles, and answered thousands of emails and online questions. I’ve given seminars, coached patients and practiced prevention on my family – which is why I have strong opinions about fluoride, sealants, wisdom tooth extraction and and other conventional dental practices.
The Science of Dental Health
I learned a great deal during my early years as a dentist in Switzerland. I learned about implants and also about foods that help skin and bone heal quickly. For three decades I have studied the science of mouth health and am fortunate to have friends who are prominent health educators, and who keep me informed of the latest research in the areas of diet and nutrition for health.
Mouth-Body Connection
About 10 years ago I was a Founding Member of a dental organization called The American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH). Originally we were just a handful of dental professionals and doctors who shared a passion and belief that mouth health affects body health. Together we seeded this organization, which today has a worldwide membership of dentists, hygienists, preventive cardiologists and physicians. AAOSH is committed to helping patients learn how chronic disease in the mouth can impact general health and contribute to conditions that include cardiovascular disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
A Passion For Sharing Knowledge
I have taught preventive dental approaches to dentists, hygienists, nurses and doctors in a variety of programs for over 30 years. I have dental experience in almost every aspect of dentistry and have always tried to layer emerging new science with clinical experience and observation. I love to read and have a keen interest in traditional and modern thoughts on nutrition and digestive health. I truly believe there is a strong connection between digestive imbalance and many chronic health problems, including gum disease.
Searching For Joy
I feel fortunate to have studied physics, chemistry and biology before I became a dentist. When I graduated from dental school I thought I wanted to be an oral surgeon, then a kids dentist, then I took orthodontic courses, cosmetic and endodontic courses (root canals). I worked in three countries: the U.K., Switzerland and the United States during the 40 years of my career. In the United States I took graduate programs in different specialties – in pediatric and also in advanced general dentistry. I’ve worked as a dentist with special needs patients, seniors in nursing homes, babies and preschool kids. I was the director of a children’s clinic in England and I was the outpatient clinic director at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health. I’ve worked in Private Practice and was Faculty at the University of Rochester in New York. During this search for my place in dentistry, I discovered that my real joy is preventing dental disease and helping people learn how to care for their teeth, so they can experience the healthiest mouth possible.
A Passion For Family Dental Health
I am a mother of five and a grandmother of eight. I know what it’s like to be a busy working mom who wants the best for her kids – especially for their health.
Forty years ago I used a small slide carousel to give short education programs to pregnant women in England. Before their babies were born I helped these mothers learn why teeth decay and what they could do to prevent damage in their children’s teeth. Many mothers listened, were successful, and noticed the difference in their children’s mouths. Today we have video, Internet and an exciting possibility to reach many more people. This is now my dream: to explain the value of mouth health and show YOU how to achieve it.
My History
I attended Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London and graduated as a dentist in 1970. After an Oral Surgery residency at East Grinstead hospital, I began working as a general dentist in Switzerland and learned groundbreaking ideas about how teeth and gums can heal themselves when we provide balanced and healing oral conditions.
When I returned to the UK I opened my own “preventive dental” office in Eastbourne,UK.
This was when I learned even more about the simple methods of home care that could stop cavities and resolve gum disease. Several days each week I would teach pregnant women with a small slideshow, presented in the waiting room of a local maternity clinic. My goal was to explain the importance of oral health, and how it influences our general body health and also the oral health of a baby.
During this time I took a course in orthodontics at the Eastman Institute in London, and had the opportunity to meet renowned dental professionals and scientists who were studying management of tooth decay and how oral health can influence general health.
In 1984 I moved to the US and graduated from the Pediatric Specialty program at the Eastman Institute in Rochester, NY. In 1999 I graduated from the AEGD program in Esthetic (Cosmetic) Dentistry and worked in the Emergency Dental department at the University of Rochester NY. and as a Geriatric and Special Needs dentist. I was Faculty and Director of the Pediatric Clinic – which was when I met the professor who had authored many xylitol studies in the 1970s. I knew xylitol was useful, but Dr. Berkowitz and Dr. Milgrom introduced me to the idea that xylitol could control the transmission of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy oral ecology in the first years of life.
At this time I also taught oral health to nursing and medical staff and began hosting educational seminars for the public. I described xylitol and how effective oral care can reverse acidic damage and help control tooth and gum disease. By 2004 I had recognized the need for a well formulated xylitol product. This was when I created a line of dental mints and gum – Zellie’s – sweetened only with 100% pure xylitol. Wegmans Food Markets immediately took the products and invited me to educate the Wegman’s staff about oral health and xylitol. For years my focus has been to educate about xylitol – in group meetings and at health stores across New York, Pennsylvania, and in the People’s Pharmacy in Austin,Texas.
In 2010, I became a Founder of the American Academy For Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH). This organization has developed into a world leader for proactive healthcare collaboration. I also authored two books -: Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye and Mouth Care Comes Clean, to explain why my specific method of oral care is so effective.
My dream is to offer effective home-care oral health programs to families across the globe. My belief is that if we empower young women and families with culturally appropriate oral care strategies, we can improve and protect the oral health of young mothers and consequently influence the oral health of children and families, generation after generation, especially in communities where access to dental care is limited.
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TESTIMONIALS FROM MY DENTAL SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
FINAL WORDS BY ELLIE PHILLIPS, DDS
I have been a dentist for over four decades, but I prefer to think of myself an Oral Health Educator.
